As you take the first few steps towards a more conscious lifestyle, your clothing is a logical place to begin with.

The world is moving towards a more sustainable way of living. And with many concerns raised about how the fashion industry leaves behind a trail of negative impact on the environment, it too has taken a step towards being sustainable. A simple way to negate the after-effects is to start with conscious shopping choices, which is often known as ethicalor sustainable shopping.

Drawing attention to how one can try and build an ‘ethical closet’ is actor and fashion icon Sonam Kapoor Ahuja. In an Instagram story, the Neerja actor shared steps to build an ‘ethical closet’ tagging author Anuschka Rees who is a strong advocate of ‘ethical closet’, and has also written a book The Curated Closet (2016).

Take a look!

In an Instagram story, the Neerja actor posted about how to build an ‘ethical closet’ tagging author Anuschka Rees. (Sonam K Ahuja/Instagram Story)

So, if you too want to do your bit for the environment and wish to make environmentally-conscious fashion choices, here’s how you can.

Value and take good care of the clothes you already own

Irrespective of the brand, its important to take care of your clothes. Stitch what is torn and hand wash them for long life. Clothes that are well taken care of, stay longer and nicer, mentions Rees in her blog. This also means that one will be tempted to buy less and take care of what is already there in the closet, in turn reducing one’s contribution to cost of fashion in the long run.

Shop less, choose better: Only buy pieces you love 100 per cent

There is no point buying new stuff half-heartedly or buying for the sake of it. Instead, make selective and better choices so that those clothes will be worn by you more than once. Try not to be bored with the clothes you pick — so think mindfully. Stop relying on fads, they won’t last for longer anyway.

Go for clothes that are high-quality and durable

A big brand doesn’t mean high quality as much as a small brand doesn’t mean low quality. So pick clothes that are well-made and consist of high-quality materials that is more eco-friendly than buying lower-quality pieces, because they’ll last longer and will need to be replaced less often.

Buy vintage or second-hand

A budget-friendly alternative is to buy brands that re-purpose pre-worn clothes. Finding what you want in a vintage or second-hand store can be time-consuming but worth it. Sanchit Baweja, co-founder at Stage3, a fashion-rental and styling platform says, “The fashion re-commerce market in India is anywhere between dollar three to four billion and the figures will keep increasing. Recently, Stage3 also collaborated with Rhea Kapoor, with an aim to spread greater awareness about the sustainable clothing concept, and eventually make rentals the norm for glamorous dress-up this wedding season.”.

Support ethical brands

If you can browse the web for everything you need, then why not try and find ethical brands that are actually doing good work and providing eco-friendly clothes? It’s a good idea to ask people around and make a conscious choice.